Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 845 



under the end of the dorsal. Caudal deeply forked. Scales large, the 

 whole surface spinous, with short reflexed points or prickles, giving a 

 general roughness to the touch. Lateral line nearly straight, following 

 the curvature of the hack, inconspicuous, and with 71 to 76 scales, with 

 8 above and 20 below the lateral line in transverse series. Its color is 

 thus descril)ed by Lowe: "At the moment of capture, whilst this fish is 

 yet alive, the whole body beneath the lateral line is of a pure, resplen- 

 dent, silvery white ; the fins alone, and merely the ridge of the back and 

 head, the inside of the mouth, the lower jaw, and parts beneath the eye 

 being of the brightest scarlet, contrasting strongly with the pure silver 

 of the whole sides and belly, which only after death turn iridescent rosy, 

 or sometimes rich golden scarlet. The hind parts of the dorsal and the 

 ventral fins are transparent ; the iris is pale scarlet. There is a watery 

 transparency about the scarlet of the back in this state perfectly inim- 

 itable by art." Color paler than in B. decadactylns, but the inside of the 

 mouth deep red. Known from Madeira, Japan, and the Gulf Stream, 

 34° 49' 30^' N., 74° 34' 45'' W., in 424 fathoms. (Goode & Beau.) {sjilen- 

 dens, glowing.) 



Berijx spleiidens, Lowe, Proc. Zoijl. Soc. London, 1833, 142, Madeira ; Guodk A Bean, Oceanic 

 Ichthyol., 176, 1895. 



Family CXV. HOLOCENTEIDiE. 



(The Squirrel-fishes.) 



Body oblong or ovate, moderately compressed, covered with very strongly 

 ctenoid or spinous scales. Head with large muciferous cavities ; eye lat- 

 eral, very large ; preorbital very narrow ; mouth moderate, oblique ; pre- 

 maxillaries protractile; maxillary very large, with supplemental bone; 

 bands of villiform teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines. Opercular bones 

 and membrane bones of head generally serrated or spinescent, along 

 their edges. Branchiostegals 8. Gill membranes separate, free from isth- 

 mus. Gills 4, a slit behind fourth. Pseudobranchi;e present. Gill rakers 

 moderate; no barbels. Sides of head scaly. Lateral line present. Dor- 

 sal fin very long, deeplj' divided, with about 11 strong spines depressible 

 in a scaly groove; anal with 4 spines, the third longest and strongest; 

 ventrals thoracic, with 1 spine and 7 rays ; caudal deeply forked, with 

 sharp rudimentary rays or fulcra at base. Vertebne about 27. Pyloric 

 cceca 8 to 25. Air bladder large, sometimes connected with the organ of 

 hearing. General color red. Young with the snoui sharp and produced 

 (constituting the nominal genera Bhynchichthys, Bhamphohcryx, and Rhino- 

 beryx, based on peculiarities of immature examples). Genera 4 ; species 

 about 70, gaily-colored inhabitants of the tropical seas, abounding about 

 coral reefs. {Berycidw, part, Giinther, Cat., i, 19-50, 1859.) 



a. Preopercle without couspicuons spine at its anjjie ; air hladder divided l)y a contraction, the 

 anterior part extending to the otocrane. itvRirRisTis, 381. 



on. Preopercle with a conspicuous spiue. 



h. Suborbital arch simply serrated; scales moderate, 38 to 5.'). Holocenthis, 382. 



hb. Suborbital arch armed with 3 long spines curved forward; scales uudescrilied. 



Plectryi'ops, 383. 



